Bunk stake for logging trucks and railroad cars



July 3, 1951 J. s. CLIFFE 2,559,007

BUNK STAKES FOR LOGGING TRUCKS AND RAILROAD CARS Filed April 17, 1950 INVENTOR JOSEPH S. CL/FFE AT ORNE Y Patented July 3, 1951 BUNK STAKE FOR LOGGING TRUCKS AND RAILROAD CARS Joseph S. Clifie, Ladysniith, British Columbia, Canada Application April 17, 1950, Serial No. 156,463

2 Claims.

My invention relates to improvements in bunk stakes for logging trucks and railroad cars.

The objects of the invention are to provide a stake which can be operated to release and to restore to upright position with absolute safety and from the opposite side of the car platform from that on which the stake is mounted; to provide means whereby partial return of the stake to erect position is automatic, and whereby the load carried on the bunk assists in retaining the stake in upright position. A still further object is to entirely eliminate the use of rods, links and chains from the means holding the stake against movement incidental to the load against said stake, therefore avoiding improper stake support through elongation of rods, wear or elongation of links and obstruction of free running of the stake holding means. A still further object is the provision of means whereby the stake may be automatically swung in an upward direction to any degree desired.

Referring to the drawings:

Figure 1 is an elevational view of a bunk and the stakes at its ends.

Figure 2 is an outside and elevational view of a stake.

Figure 3 is a detail sectional view of a stake.

Figure l is an end view of the head of the spring pin.

Figure 5 is a detail view of an anchor plate for the stake retaining cable.

In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each figure.

The numeral l indicates the platform of a rail road car or truck which is fitted along both side edges with bearers 2 and upon the bearers a bunk S is mounted which is formed of side plates 4 and a bottom plate 5. Each of the side plates l is extended beyond the edge of the platform 3 to form hinge lugs l which are bored to receive a circular pivot pin generally indicated by the numeral 8. Secured to or formed integrally with one of the lugs is a boss l8, see Figure 2, having a splined opening aligned with the bore of the lugs i and the pin 8 is provided with a square shoulder I l which is adapted to be seated in any desired position in the splined opening in the boss Iii. The adjacent end of the pin 8 is provided with transverse apertures M to receive a suitable spike or other tool to turn the pin about its axis.

Swingingly mounted on each pin 8 is a stake [6 having a fork H at its lower end which is freely journalled about the pin 8. The fork is preferably partially surrounded by a casing is to form a spring case and the cheek plates iii are apertured as at see Figure 2, through which an anchor pin 25 extends. The pin 3 is slotted transversely as at 23 to engage the inner end of a torsion spring 25, the outer end of said Sp ing being outwardly turned to engage a circumferential edge of the casing it as shown in Figure 3, or to be engaged by the anchor pin 2| when set in any desired pair of apertures, thus forming anchorage for the outer end of said spring.

At a point approximately one-third the height of the stake a plate 26 is provided, the upper member 2'? of which is slotted throughout its entire length as at 28. This slot is extended down to the lower member 29 and a wide vertical slot 3b is provided in the inner face member 3| of each stake.

A cable 32 having thimbles 33 and 34 extends from one stake in to the opposite side of the platform, with the thimble 33 forming an anchorage of the cable to the stake. The cable 32 passes through a suitable opening in the bunk and is adapted to be fastened to a slotted plate 35, see Figures 1 and 5, mounted to a fixed part of the car or to a part of the bunk. The slotted plate 35 may have a horizontal slot 36 to receive the cable 32'and for the thimble 3 to butt against when the stake complementary thereto is in erect or normal position. A pivotally mounted keeper 3? is mounted on the slotted plate which is provided with a depending hand lever 38, which keeper serves to prevent displacement of the thimble 3d and the cable 32 from the slotted plate by vibration or accidental movement. I attach a light line or chain 39 to the thimble 3d, so that when the stake is released and the thimble 34 is drawn lengthwise of the bunk away from its slotted plate, it can be manually drawn into anchoring position conveniently. The spring 25 is adjusted so as to normally support the stake in a position of forty-five degrees or more above the pin '8, as shown in dotted line at X in Figure 1, and is of such weakness as to allow the log or other load of the car or truck to depress the stake and spill from the bunk.

The anchorage of the cable 32 to the stake is so far above the pin 8 as to enable the stake to be easily brought to vertical position by a reasonable pull on the line 35 The cable, being in part exposed above the bunk to form a bight 4%] upon which a log or a portion of the load will be carried, is automatically tensioned and hence has no tendency to swing in an outward direction until the stake is released.

To release the load, the keeper 3? is opened and the thimble 34 is tapped sidewise until it is clear of the slotted plate 35, when the weight of the load can push the stake outwardly and draw the cable 32 lengthwise of the bunk to allow said stake to fall to the position shown in dotted line as at Y in Figure 1.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A bunk and stake combination comprising a bunk having hinge lugs at one end, a stake hingedly connected to the lugs, spring means serving to raise the stake towards a vertical posi tion above the bunk, and a flexible member attached to the stake for detachably retaining the stake in raised position, said member being secured adjacent the end of the bunk remote from the stake, said spring means being a torsional spring, a pin non-rotatably mounted between the lugs to support the spring and form an anchorage for its inner end, the outer end of said spring being anchored to a part of the stake.

2. A bunk and stake combination comprising a bunk having hinge lugs at one end, a stake hingedly connected to the lugs, spring means serving to raise the stake towards a vertical position above the bunk, and a flexible member attached to the stake for detachably retaining the stake in raised position, said member being secured adjacent the end of the bunk remote from the stake, said spring means being a torsional spring,'a pin non-rotatably mounted between the lugs to support the spring and form an anchorage for its inner end, the outer end of said spring being anchored to a part of the stake, said spring pin having splines and said lugs having a splined opening to receive and lock the pin in different positions about its axis.

JOSEPH S. CLIP-FE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Toomey Sept, 26, 1911 Droste Sept. 23, 191 3 Meany Nov. 23, 1920 Isaacson June 23, 1931 Number 

